Crystal Clear
by Jean-theGuardian
Summary: It's bad enough that Logan has to tangle with the green goliath known as the Hulk, but to be paired with the one woman who annoys him more than any other being on earth? Survival is going to be the least of his problems. Emma/Logan
1. Chapter 1

Crystal Clear

By Jean-the Guardian

Warning: Spoilers for end of season 1

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own anything because I'm poor. So, if you sue me, you're a jackass.

Summary: What if Emma went with Logan during his adventure fighting the Hulk? Just a little Emma/Logan fic with our favorite Unjolly Green Giant as a guest star. Enjoy!

* * *

They kept coming. They were everywhere.

The battle on the streets was relentless as the X-Men members Emma Frost and the man known as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, fought for their freedom, and their lives against the swarm of Mutant Response Division (MRD) troopers in a small town near the Connecticut border.

Wolverine had received a tip that the MRD was going to pick up a young eight-year old girl with the mutant power to bring immobile objects to life. Emma had managed to track the girl's location via Cerebro, but with the rest of the team away on another rescue mission, that left Wolverine with the unfortunate (in his view) option of taking Emma with him.

It wasn't that he didn't like her…well, actually, yes that was exactly the case. The two had never seen eye-to-eye on anything and had been constantly arguing about every little thing since the day the blonde beauty first graced the steps of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Despite Logan's mistrust and dislike of the woman, Emma had proven herself to be a valuable member of the team. A fact that Emma, never one to be shy about praise, had often reminded the new leader of the X-Men of constantly whenever they fought.

They were just so different. Emma was cool, calm and collected while Logan was a notorious hothead with a short fuse and a bad temper. Emma enjoyed the team dynamic, while Logan, despite his newfound role as leader of the X-Men, often looked at times as if he would be more comfortable going at it alone. It was even evident in their styles of fighting. While Emma's moves were calculated, every move deliberate, every action precise, Logan was all berserker rage, wild and unpredictable, a firestorm of fury and claws.

Yet despite the obvious differences, they seemed to mesh perfectly on the battlefield.

"_Frost! Back to back_!," he called out between slicing through two gun barrels and heaving two MRD troopers backwards as more reinforcements arrived.

Delivering a full-force psychic blast that rendered five troopers unconscious, Emma called back. "_Got it_!"

Within moments, the two X-Men were fighting back-to-back against a sea of MRD troopers that had arrived on the scene. Knowing that she couldn't risk a full-psychic blast without the possibility of rendering Logan unconscious by accident, Emma sighed with frustration as she materialized into her diamond-hard shell.

True, her attacks were more physically effective, as the MRD trooper to her right discovered when he was knocked out by a solid right cross from the former school headmistress. But her telepathy was prevented from use, robbing her of her greatest weapon, one that she had used not only to render opponents unconscious, but to read her opponents moves and intentions before they could act, making her a deadly combatant to face.

Still, she sighed inwardly as she kicked another MRD trooper in the face, breaking his jaw, the form did have some advantages.

Meanwhile, as she briefly glanced over her shoulder to Wolverine, howling in primitive fury as he relentlessly hacked, sliced, kicked, punched and generally mauled through the increasing numbers of troops, the wild loner was making it clear to the rest of the MRD troopers that he was the best there was at what he did: and what he did, wasn't pretty.

Yet they kept coming, like waves crashing against the shore. At last, they were completely surrounded.

"It's over, mutants," Haskett, the smug, white-haired MRD agent leader declared in a voice filled with pompous self-righteousness. "Make this easy on yourselves. Surrender."

Still back-to-back, Emma, in her hard-diamond form, gave him an icy glare, not even bothering to dignify that order with a response.

Wolverine, on the other hand, was more than happy to give the arrogant, mutant-hunting zealot some lip service. Cracking his adamantium-laced neck to loosen the joints, he smirked.

"That's funny, I was just about to tell you the same thing, bub," he snarled, as he and Emma set themselves back into battle position, ready for Round 2.

Suddenly, the wind began to roar around them as a brilliant floodlight shined down on their position.

Within moments, a large military helicopter touched down roughly 15 feet away from them. The bottom bay hatch of the helicopter gave an audible grinding sound as the platform lowered to the ground, carrying dozens of blue, armored soldiers.

"It would appear that the party's just gotten larger," Emma said warily, looking over her shoulder to Logan.

"Looks like," he curtly answered, keeping his eyes on the new arrivals.

"Logan," Emma started, "If I lower my diamond form, I could create a telepathic blast large enough to disable--"

"No," he cut her off. "That diamond form's the only thing keeping those MRD stun-rounds from zapping you unconscious."

"It's also keeping me from using my telepathy," Emma protested. "Logan, be reasonable! We're outnumbered, and we can't keep fighting them at this pace, or they'll capture us both."

"_I said, 'No'_," he retorted, as a smirk slowly spread on his face. "Besides…I know these guys."

A puzzled Emma threw the new leader of the X-Men a startled glance. "What?"

As the blue-clad soldiers quickly surrounded the MRD troops, a tall, African-American man in a brown trench coat stepped down from the helicopter, a small smile on his face as he approached, with his lone eye surveying the situation. The other eye was covered in an eye-patch.

Emma admitted to herself that this new man's presence was...disconcerting. And now she found herself wishing even more that she could have used her telepathy to find out who this man was, and more importantly, what it was that he wanted.

To her surprise, as she peeked over her shoulder, she found Logan with that same damn smirk on his face.

"I fail to see the humor in our predicament. Care to explain?," she said, sarcastically.

"In a minute, Frost. In a minute," he replied with a chuckle.

"What is this? Who are you people?" an outraged Haskett demanded as he pointed his gun at Logan.

In a smooth, calm voice, the one-eyed man replied. "Your operation is over, mutant-hunter," he said dismissively. "Pack up your gear and get out of here."

"_What_?" the MRD leader yelped indignantly. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but we're the Mutant Response Di--"

Haskett's ear-piece suddenly cut him off with audible radio-cackling. Emma had no doubt that those were his superiors on the line, based on how the agent's tone changed almost instantaneously from an authoritative tone to a negotiative one.

But what caught her curiosity more than what she heard was what she saw. And what she saw was how the one-eyed man exchanged stares with Logan.

While the one-eyed man maintained that small smile, his lone eye held a stare of confidence, of authority. Logan, on the other hand, merely met the man's myopic stare with one of those glances that Emma had grown accustomed to over the last several months with the X-Men. That cold, feral mistrusting stare of his that seemed almost omnipresent with the wild mutant.

"What? But we've got…but I have orders--" Haskett's voice suddenly dropped down to a defeated whisper, but one loud enough for both Logan and Emma to hear.

"S.H.I.E.L.D."

The mention, and the meaning, of that word were not lost on Emma as she raised her diamond eyebrows in surprise.

Suddenly, Haskett snapped to attention with a salute. "Sir! Director Fury, sir! MRD! We're pulling out! _Now_!"

Logan glanced back over his shoulder at Emma and stifled a chuckled at her surprise as the MRD agents suddenly marched back into their armored Humvees and roared away almost as quickly as they arrived.

Clearly frustrated, Emma turned a questioning gaze to her fellow teammate. "Logan?"

But Logan continued to focus on the one-eyed man, before folding his arms.

"Hi, Nick," he greeted that man cautiously. "Long time, no see."

Instead, he looked past Logan and rested his stare on Emma.

"Emma Frost. Former headmistress at the Massachusetts Academy of Tomorrow, right?"

Her eyes widened. "Who are you?"

Off her wary glance, he chucked. "Sorry, I forgot my manners. Colonel Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D. At your service."

Emma knew who this man was. His reputation was known far and wide. In fact, TIME magazine had recently done a cover-story on him last month, although his photo was withheld from the story. When one had the task of running the world's largest peace-keeping task force, one had the propensity for gaining some level of attention.

He extended his hand, which Emma, suspicious by nature, but refined to the core, hesitantly accepted.

"There's no need to worry, Ms. Frost," he assured her with a polite tone. "Logan and I go way back. Don't we, old-timer?"

Emma could hear an audible growl in the back of Logan's throat. "Yeah. Good times, Fury."

Though she was still not aware of whether that was just Logan being Logan, or a sign of more trouble to come, Emma, tired of maintaining her diamond form, opted to take a chance and slowly dematerialize the shiny coat of armor around her body, returning her to her normal, blond-haired, blue-eyed state.

Motioning towards the helicopter, Fury continued to talk as he walked. "Let me buy you a cup of coffee, Logan. Ms. Frost."

Emma smirked, slightly more relieved. "I'd prefer an Earl Grey, actually."

As Logan and Emma started to walk towards the chopper, she began to feel her fears gradually subside. That is, until she heard Logan sarcastically mutter, "We should've taken our chances with the MRD."

Emma whipped around, staring wide-eyed at him. "Somehow, I'd have to disagree with your assessment," she sardonically replied. "He doesn't seem so bad, this Nick Fury."

Logan's eyes narrowed as he turned to the blonde. "Make no mistake, Frost," he said with a stark foreboding in his voice. "I've known Nick Fury long enough to know this: when Nick Fury does you a favor, it never comes for free."

* * *

The diner was quaint, but comfortable. Or at least, it would have been if not for the twenty some-odd armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lined up and down the inside and outside of the diner.

"You know, Ms. Frost, there is something I've just been dying to ask," Fury said as his lone eye studied the blonde beauty to his opposite left. "Two years ago, you were running the Mass. Academy of Tomorrow. Very successful, if not somewhat secretive, little operation. Now, what would a wealthy, powerful woman like yourself possibly have to gain by shacking up with the X-Men, of all people?"

Logan eyed Emma, suddenly very curious. "A question I'd like to know myself."

After scowling at Logan, she returned a more curious stare towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. director. "Mr. Fury, do you understand the words quid pro quo?"

"Quid pro quo. Latinate. Meaning 'this for that'," he replied, sipping his coffee. "What's your point?"

Emma sighed as she neatly placed the cup of tea onto the table, neatly folding her white-gloved hands. "My point is, Mr. Fury, if you answer one of my questions, then perhaps I'll answer yours."

"You want to know why you can't read my mind," he replied, knowingly.

She smirked in response. "Smart man."

"Thank you." Fury tapped a small device in his ear. "This ain't a Bluetooth, Ms. Frost. It's called a neural dampener. Anti-psionic device. Nullifies any telepathic wavelengths that attempt to reach its wearer. Which would explain why the only thing that powerful mutant mind of yours can read from me at the moment is static."

_**Is that true**_**?,** Logan projected his thoughts to her.

Emma turned to Logan, rolling her eyes. _**I'm afraid so. I can't get a proper reading on his thoughts. It's like picking up those horrid AM radio waves.**_

Logan frowned. If Fury went through these lengths to protect his thoughts from Emma's telepathy, then that meant he had something to hide. And in Logan's experience dealing with Nick Fury, whenever the S.H.I.E.L.D. director had something to hide, it usually meant a lot more physical harm for him than he and his mutant healing factor cared to deal with.

"Come on, Ms. Frost, I've read your files," he smiled. "Surely, you didn't think I'd have a sit-down with two X-Men, one of whom happens to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, and not be prepared somehow. I wasn't born yesterday, and I sure didn't get this job based on my handsome profile."

Logan growled, growing ever more impatient. "Okay, Fury, let's cut the chit-chat and get down to business."

_**Diplomatic as ever, eh, Logan?**_**, **Emma snarked telepathically.

_**Can it, Frost, I'm working**_, Logan mentally retorted.

Emma's smirk came back. _**On what, might I ask? Getting us shot at by twenty armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, perhaps?**_

Logan gritted his teeth, shooting her a glare. _**Just CAN it, would ya? **_

Granted, Emma knew that cracking jokes and snide comments at Logan was probably not the best idea, especially considering the present situation, but she couldn't help it. He was so easy to rile up, it was amusing.

"So, what's the deal, Fury? Why get in the middle of our little tussle with the MRD?" he continued, suspiciously. "Don't tell me S.H.I.E.L.D. is finally getting into the mutant game."

"Nope. That's politics," he replied, casually leaning across the table. "And trust me, if we ever do get involved, you'll know."

Logan snorted. "That's comforting."

Emma groaned inwardly. At the rate Logan was going, they were going to be used as target practice, for sure.

"But for right now, I've got something you might be able to help me with," Fury said as he leaned back in his chair.

Emma's curiosity was piqued. "And that would be…?"

Fury kept his gaze on Logan. "An old sparring partner of yours, actually, Logan. The Hulk."

Emma noticed it immediately. The way the feral X-Man's eyes suddenly widened, the way his hands suddenly froze halfway through drinking his coffee.

And then she saw it.

Through his mind's eye, she saw the frightening image of a jade giant, a green gargantuan creature, neither man nor beast, but a monster through and through.

His angry roar…it was the most terrifying thing she had ever heard.

Emma couldn't stifle a gasp of surprise that escaped her lips. Logan's eyes turned to her, and he knew without question that the telepath had seen the image that just flashed through his mind.

"He's been spotted in the Canadian Rockies. Two towns have been destroyed already, and he's heading for a third," Fury said, looking stern as he delivered the bombshell. "It won't be long now before he reaches the states."

Emma cautiously eyed Logan, studying his face. She wished she could pick up on what he was thinking, but his mind seemed to have grown quiet. Yet, Emma had no doubt that the leader of the X-Men was deep in thought.

His next words, however, stunned her.

Logan let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Have fun with that."

As he stood up, he reached over and grabbed Emma's smooth arm. "Come on, Frost. We're leaving."

To say that Emma was surprised was an understatement. Wolverine never backed away from a fight. "What? Logan…"

_**You saw him, didn't you?**_ Logan raised an eyebrow.

_**The Hulk? Yes**_, Emma replied telepathically. _**He practically jumped out of the top of your brain. Though I admit, I thought he was just a myth. Or at least, I hoped…**_

_**He's real, alright**_, Logan frowned. _**And I'm damn sure not going to waste any time picking a fight with the likes of him when we've got our own problems back home.**_

Now it was Emma's turn to frown. _**But you heard what Fury said, Logan. If that thing crosses the State lines, countless lives would be lost. Possibly mutant lives.**_

_**Then we'll deal with it when the time comes. As a team, in full force, **_he replied as he leaned closer to a scowling Emma. _**But not here, and not now. And definitely not with HIM. So get moving!**_

_**Take. Your. Hand. Off. My. Arm. **_Her icy blue eyes were shooting daggers at him. _**NOW.**_

Logan glowered at her before reluctantly releasing his cast-like grip on her arm. Emma rubbed the grabbed area gingerly, swearing to herself that if Logan left so much as a blotch on her flawless skin, she'd turn his brain inside out, assuming he had one to start with.

He turned back to Fury. "Good seeing you, Nick. Thanks for the coffee."

With that, he and Emma began to walk out of the coffee shop when Fury's next words stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Katherine Pryde. Robert Drake. Scott Summers. Ororo Munroe. Henry McCoy. Kurt Wagner." He turned to casually look over his shoulder. "Do you need me to keep going?"

Emma's eyes widened in shock, her heart suddenly freezing in her chest. She turned to Logan, whose eyes were suddenly stony.

Fury's voice was almost a purr as he twisted the knife even further. "Nice school you rebuilt there in Westchester, by the way."

Emma's eyes immediately noticed how Logan's hand balled up into a tight fist. And instinctively, she knew what he was thinking about doing.

She quickly projected her thoughts into his. _**Logan**__**. No.**_

_**I know, Frost. I know,**_ he sighed. _**But it sure is tempting.**_

_**Yes. I know, **_she frowned, looking down before turning angry blue eyes back towards Fury, wondering if that damn neural dampener of his would protect him from a full-powered psychic blast that would render him little more than a living vegetable.

The pair quickly stalked back to the one-eyed colonel. "Information is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s business, Logan. But sometimes, information falls into the wrong hands." His lone eye was so damn smug as he gauged the reaction of the two X-Men. "The hands of certain mutant-hating senators, for instance?"

Emma could see the images flashing in Logan's mind—

_MRD agents crashing through the walls of the school, frightened teenagers and children fleeing everywhere as menacing agents covered the school grounds like ants at a picnic. Their friends, teammates suffering at the hands of the agents. Cyclops, valiantly fighting, but brought down, riddled by gunfire. Beast, howling in agony as a high-voltage electrical net was thrown around him. Kurt, Kitty, Warren, Forge, and Bobby, all being led away in manacles towards the MRD convoys. Storm, laying lifeless on the school's lawn with a smoking hole in her chest, and finally, Charles Xavier, their beloved professor, lying helplessly comatose as the concrete ceiling above him came crashing down on him…_

Emma quickly shut off her telepathy, struggling not to wince at the horrible images she just saw.

Fury continued to calmly sip his coffee. "And just think, that you doing a small favor for me could prevent that."

Emma's eyes belied her outrage. "You…you would willingly barter our identities and the school's true nature to Senator Kelly's office? Knowing what he would _do_ with that information? Knowing what would become of the students, all of those children?"

Fury chuckled. "Ms. Frost. Surely you of all people know the phrase, 'Whatever it takes,' don't you?"

Emma was not amused, glowering at the man seated before them. "You do know, Mr. Fury, that if I wanted to, I could make you forget we ever had this conversation? I could reach into your mind and erase the knowledge that you've gathered on the Xavier Institute and the students there; I could even dive right into your frontal lobe and reduce your brain functions to the equivalent of that of an 18-month old toddler. Your device can block out my telepathy, but only at low range. I wonder if it could withstand a full-fledged blast from a Level 10 telepath, like say, myself?"

The cold look in her eyes told both men that she was not making idle threats. And despite himself, Logan couldn't help but to smile.

Normally, a threat like that would have sent most people into a stammering, apologetic frenzy, knowing who Emma Frost was and what she was capable of. But Nick Fury only smirked.

"I'd advise against it, Ms. Frost," he replied as he calmly sipped his coffee before casually pointing towards his ear device. "This little baby also has remote capabilities. If you so much as project a thought at my person, it's designed to automatically initiate a warning sequence to our friends over here," he motioned at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, "at which point, they are authorized to set their weapons from 'stun' to 'kill.'"

At that, the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at the door cocked their rifles, menacingly.

Logan growled, his claws itching to pop out. _**Good try, Frost. But drop it. The bastard's got us right where he wants us.**_

Emma sighed, resigned to defeat, but glared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. director as she and Logan resumed their seats at the booth opposite Fury.

Smiling contently, Fury proceeded to debrief them. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wants you - both of you - to deal with the Hulk. Permanently. If you do this, then the names and the location of the X-Men stay secret. That's the deal."

Emma was puzzled. "But why me?"

"Exactly," Logan growled. "I've taken the Hulk on myself, before. And that's no joke. I can heal. She can't. You're not putting her out there to face the friggin' Hulk."

_**How sweet. I didn't know you cared**_, Emma smirked.

_**I don't. But I don't need you slowing me down, either**_, Logan shot back as he tried to stare her down.

Emma folded her arms, unconvinced. _**Right, because you were in such a hurry to deal with your big, green friend when you were scampering out of here like you'd seen the devil himself.**_

The sound of Logan's annoyed growl made her smile grow even wider.

"She is also a powerful telepath, Logan," Fury replied. "Never tried that on the Hulk before. Who knows? Maybe it'll save your healing factor the work of piecing you together after the Hulk rips you in half. Again."

Emma turned to Logan with a curious stare. _**Again?**_

_**I don't wanna talk about it**_, he all but growled in his head.

Her eyes widened. _**He…the Hulk actually ripped you in half?**_

_**Drop it, Frost**_, his thoughts angrily thundered.

Her amused chuckle did nothing to sooth his growing anger. He stared back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. director with furious blue eyes.

"You know, one day, Fury, you and I are gonna have some serious words."

Fury gave them a smirk that made Logan want to peel it slowly off his face. With his claws. "Looking forward to it. What happened to you, Logan? This kind of think used to be your idea of fun."

Logan scowled. "Things change."

Fury nodded in a way that seemed condescending. "Being the leader takes its toll, doesn't it? How is the Professor, by the way?"

"Comatose. Thanks for asking," Logan replied, bitterly, before narrowing his eyes at Fury. "You wouldn't happen to _know_ anything about that, now, would you?"

"You're getting paranoid in your old age, Logan," Fury chuckled. "Now, why would S.H.I.E.L.D. want to go out of its way to harm Professor Xavier? What could we gain from that?"

Logan didn't bother to notice the sad, and somewhat guilty look in Emma's sapphire eyes at the topic of their conversation.

"What, indeed," Logan replied, his eyes narrowing.

"Believe me, Logan, if S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted Charles Xavier out of the way, we wouldn't have stopped to just leave him in a coma. Surely, you believe that."

Logan could barely take it anymore. "Just take us to the drop-off point, already. This little reunion's starting to make me sick."

* * *

To be continued…


	2. No need for teamwork

A/N : Hey, there! Sorry about the mega-long wait, but I've been preoccupied with my job and other stuff. But hey, better late than never, right? Here's the second chapter, and thanks for sticking with the story. And for those of you just tuning in, welcome aboard! Hope you'll stick around for the end, which should be sometime soon!

**Crystal Clear**

**Part 2**

The roar of the helicarrier was deafening as they passed over the cliffs of the Rocky Mountain lines.

It had been hours since Fury's rather unpleasant coffee visit, and yet Emma and Logan had barely exchanged words. Not that Emma was the sort that needed constant companionship. She was an independent woman to the core, and the thought that she would ever need anyone in order to make herself feel normal abhorred her.

Still, there was something rather irritating about Logan's silence. There he was, sitting not a few feet from her, just staring outside the window of the helicarrier, without a word, or so much as a snarl, watching the scenery move beneath them. He wasn't even bothering to take a glance at the intel file that S.H.I.E.L.D had given them to read. And she had already read it forwards and backwards. She was starting to think that she knew this Hulk better than she did her own teammate.

Honestly, the man could be so frustrating sometimes, it was maddening. She wondered what had him so riled up in the first place. Granted, if a one-eyed stranger with armed soldiers at his beckon call had threatened her precious Massachusetts Academy when she was running it years ago, she would have mind-wiped everything in a five-mile radius to keep her students safe. But this was Logan. He was always mad about something, and she had a sneaking suspicion that one of those reasons was her mere presence.

She had never fully understood why it was that she and Logan could never get along. Granted, she admitted as much that she was somewhat…high-strung, but she had always made it a point to be a ready and willing member of the team. And yet, Logan was always looking at her with all the regard of a bug stuck at the end of his shoe, never making it secret that he would rather see her out of the mansion all too soon. Worse yet, he felt the need to constantly bark orders at her, always bossing her around.

That was where she drew the line. She didn't care if he snarled and snikt-ed at her until he was blue in the face. No one told Emma Frost what to do, not after the hardness of the life she had endured. Not that anyone had bothered to ask her about her own past, not even Scott, whom she had grown somewhat close to in the last few months as she helped him through his grief (mostly out of guilt).

A saddened look crossed Emma's refined features as looked down at the passing scenery. She knew at heart that she was a hypocrite. She was frustrated about the lack of trust between her and the others, Logan, in particular, and yet she knew that if they ever discovered the truth about her, and what she had done last year, she would lose so much more than just their trust…and a part of her wondered if she deserved as much.

The only thing that kept her going through all of this, through all of the games, and lies, and dirty looks, and the constant bickering with Logan, was the thought that, in the end, she would be helping to save the world, and so many precious lives. And for that, and _only_ that, she would continue to be in a lonely place where, she had no doubt, she was not welcome.

Emma shook her head. She hated her thoughts; they were the loneliest place to be. And as she eyed Logan, scowling perpetually as he eyed the passing scenery, she relented that, despite how much she didn't want to, talking with him was the better alternative for her than to talk to herself…although, not by much.

Slowly, Emma let the mental gates of her mind open, connecting her thoughts to Logan's.

_**Shouldn't you be reading the files?**_

An angry glare was his response, to which she could only smirk, cocking a perfect golden eyebrow towards him.

_**Frost, I've **_**lived**_** the files, **_he snorted. _**Fury and his goons aren't going to tell me anything that I don't already know. **_

_**Not the most reassuring answer in the world**_, she smirked. _**Do you even have a plan for dealing with this…Hulk, was it?**_

He cracked his knuckles. _**Same plan that I usually have.**_

Emma shook her head, sighing. _**Ah, I see. That would involve you hitting his fist with that thick skull of yours until he quits?**_

Her mordant retort earned her another evil eye from Logan. _**Something like that. **_

Emma rolled her eyes at him as she idly fanned herself with the confidential S.H.I.E.L.D. file. _**So…what is this Hulk?**_

His face betrayed the smug feeling he felt as he parroted back her words. _**Haven't you been "reading the files"?**_

Now it was her turn to be smug, her icy-glossed lips twitching up into her patented smirk. _**If you've "lived" the files, then shouldn't **_**you**_** be the one to tell **_**me**_**? **_

He looked away, and she could feel his irritation at her growing through her connection…as well as the stray thought of how long it would take him to get to the drop-off point if he were to jump out of the copter mid-flight and walk from their location.

Deciding that the endless bickering was getting her nowhere, Emma relented. _**Logan, if we're going to be in this together, then you need to start trusting me.**_

She ignored his skeptical glare as he continued. _**The Hulk, as far as I tell, was never always a big, green wrecking machine. Once, he was a man. A scientist, big-time radiation guru. Dr. Bruce Banner. **_

A look of recognition flashed across Emma's perfect facial features. _**Yes, I think I came across that name in the files—**_

_**Can I finish?**_ It amazed Emma how even through telepathy, Logan still found a way to snarl._** From what Department H, in Canada, have told me, the Hulk was the result of some kinda lab explosion. Scientists in some college in Nevada- Banner being one of them - were trying to use a radiation primer to increase human resistance to gamma exposure. Something to do with cancer research. What they got was something worse. **_

Understanding lit up her cerulean eyes. _**The Hulk.**_

He touched his nose. _**Yup. What you saw in my head was only the tip of the iceburg. He can pick up tanks like they were baby rattles, bullets bounce off him like candy corn, and to make things worse, the longer he fights and the madder he gets, the stronger he becomes.**_

Though she was loathe to admit it, the description of this creature was making her all the more uneasy. S.H.I.E.L.D. had not armed them with much, to begin with, and all that they could throw at the Hulk after the ammunition ran out were just her telepathy, Logan's claws and that thick, unbreakable skull of his. It wasn't the best of battle strategies.

Still, if Logan had taken on this monster and lived, surely he had a better strategy than simply trying to outlast the creature in a fist-to-cuffs fight…or so she hoped.

She looked at her colleague with interest. _**When did you fight him?**_

She could see the images pass in his mind as his cobalt eyes stared off into the distant past. _**About 7 years ago. I was tipped off by Department H that he was laying waste to a few towns up north in Canada. I went down to stop it, or kill it.**_

She couldn't help but to find her lips curl up into a sly smile._** Whichever came first.**_

Logan chuckled._** Something like that. I found him, we fought, and long story short, it was pretty much a draw. **_His eyes were lost in the memory of heated battle. _**Toughest damn thing I ever fought. I kept hacking up that thick, green skin on that flaming idiot, and he kept pounding me like a piece of meat at a butcher shop.**_

Her eyebrows arched, slightly impressed, (not that she was the type to be turned on by a savage gladiatorial display, of course). _**You really fought the Hulk to a draw?**_

Logan shrugged, as a dissatisfied frown crossed his face. _**Well, our fight got cut short. I ran into some old buddies of mine that I never particularly wanted to run into again. **_The images of a giant blonde savage with electrical tentacles, a menacing Oriental female with deformed, but deadly claws and a red-and-black clad lunatic in a hood flickered in his mind.

Suppressing a shudder at the mental sight of those horrible-looking people, she wondered how Logan's life had become so twisted as to come across the paths of beings such as those.

And then, she remembered something. A little tidbit that Fury shared with them back in the coffee shop.

_**Was that before or after he ripped you in half?**_

Off his heated glare, to which she replied with a not-too-innocent shrug, he gave a quiet but foreboding response. _**Again. I **_**don't**_** want to talk about that.**_

She raised her hands in mock defense. _**Sorry. **_

Logan's gaze suddenly broke off, and Emma could see from the look in his eyes that something was connecting in his mind. _**The thing is, trashing a town for the heck of it, that doesn't sound like the Hulk's M.O.**_

Emma wrinkled her brow in thought, finding his last statement somewhat difficult to believe. _**Since when do monsters have a modus operandi?**_

_**You haven't met this one…yet. **_He met her eyes. _**Something doesn't add up. The Hulk might be good at playing smash-up, but he just wants to be left alone. It's only when he gets confronted or attacked that he goes on the offensive. **_

Logan could tell from the look in her eyes that the irony of the situation was not lost on her. _**And yet, here we are, flying over the United States-Canadian border to put him down. This should end well.**_

Despite her astute observation, Logan was too focused on the impending battle with the Jade Giant to have any level of patience with Emma's witty remarks. _**Can the sarcasm, Frost. It's getting old real fast. **_

Emma was about to let loose a scathing remark along the likes of "As opposed to you?", but decided against it. In truth, at this point, she only desired to be filled in on the plan before they went off to confront a 10-foot gamma-powered monster that would just as soon rip them to pieces than it would look at either of them. _**So do we have a plan? **_

_**The plan is simple, Frost. When the you-know-what hits the fan, you get into that diamond form of yours and stay out of sight. **_At that point, she heard the 'snikt' sound of his adamantium claws slide out of his right hand, watching him as he eyed the deadly blades contemplatively. _**I can handle the rest.**_

Emma stared at him in disbelief, wanting to believe that he was not suggesting something as stupid as what she believed him to be planning. _**You're not planning on fighting the Hulk by yourself…?**_

Logan shrugged. _**I did it the last time, didn't I? **_

Emma sighed, exasperated. She was hardly a damsel in distress. She was powerful enough to take care of herself. And this alpha-male complex Logan seemed to carry was not endearing her in the slightest. _**Logan, we're a team. We're both in this together.**_

His stare hardened. _**And I'm team leader, Frost. Which means you do **_**what**_** I tell you to do, **_**when**_** I tell you to do it.**_

_**Enough with that rubbish**_, she snapped, feeling her temper rise within her throat, growing angrier by the moment._** Fury sent me here because of my telepathic powers, Logan. I can help.**_

Logan's snort only fueled her anger. _**Frost, I told you. Nick Fury has an agenda for everything. I don't trust him, and neither should you.**_

Emma felt her features form a scowl harder than anything her diamond form could repel. _**You don't trust him? **_**Well**_**, then. It appears when it comes to you, Mr. Fury and I have something in common after all.**_

Logan's eyes narrowed into cold, deadly slits. _**What the hell is **_**that**_** supposed to mean?**_

But the blonde refused to back down, returning his icy glower with her own frigid, defiant stare. _**I think you know **_**exactly**_** what that means.**_

The two exchanged cold, angry glares at one another, before Emma, having grown weary from the argument, let out an exasperated sigh as she severed their mental connection, folding her arms across her chest as she gazed angrily out the window.

Logan felt the mental link abruptly cut off…and he had no idea why, but he suddenly missed the connection. And that disturbed him. He should have been glad to not have Emma poking around in his head anymore. The woman was nothing but an irritant. Always some smart-ass comment, or some haughty look, or anything to piss him off.

Yet, there was a part of him that acknowledged that she was only trying to help…unwanted as it might be. But Logan made a pact with Charles that he wouldn't let anything happen to any member of the team under his watch. And for better or worse, Emma was part of that team, now. That meant he had a responsibility to keep her safe. Of course, he was about to get to that part when she so rudely shut him out of her mind. It was so typical of her… the second she doesn't get her way, she turned on the ice queen routine – distant, curt, rude. She was so…so…

_So much like you?_ a part of his brain ventured. Logan immediately swatted away that stray thought, not wanting to follow that strand of yarn to where it would lead.

"Sir, I think we've got something," one of the two male pilots called back to Logan.

The two teammates exchanged brief glances before they bolted over to the pilot's cabin, where the screen built into the controls showed a massive crater-sized hole in the ground several thousand feet below.

"I don't wager Canada has too many of _those_ around," Emma grimly quipped as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Even near the Rocky Mountain lines."

"There aren't," Logan replied, the undertone of a dangerous growl under his voice. He'd been here before – not in the location itself, but the ruptured land crater itself was definitely the Hulk's calling card.

_Déjà vu all over again,_ he thought with weariness.

Having heard his stray thought, Emma tensed, knowing that their intended target was dangerously close.

"I suppose we should go take a closer look," she said, glancing over to Logan.

"No kidding," he snorted.

The pilots continued to hover over the crater, looking to Wolverine for further orders. "Do you want us to try for a landing, sir?"

Surprisingly, he smirked. "Don't bother."

Emma's head whipped around wildly as she stared at Logan with shock all over her face.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, hoping that he wasn't seriously contemplating what she thought he was.

Suddenly, she let out a gasp of surprise as he reached out and pulled her close to him, his powerful right arm coiled around her small waist.

"Come on, Frost. We're on."

She only had a moment to register the shocking proximity she now shared with the feral X-Man,

Before her ears picked up an even bigger shock – the sound of the hatch door's gears whirring as the steel door 10 feet from them began to unhinge.

As the hatch door opened, letting in the stark cold of the Canadian Rockies through the hanger, the realization of the moment hit Emma as hard as the biting cold did.

She shouted at him over the howling wind, appalled and frightened all at once, "Logan, are you _insane_?"

"Nope," he smirked, as he prepared his body to launch. "Just in a rush."

She squirmed in his steel grip, a futile effort. "Now you wait just a minute, Loga-_**aaaAAAAAAAAHHH!**_"

And just like that, the two X-Men began their freefall approximately 5,000 ft in the air over the Canadian wilderness.

Emma instinctively wrapped her arms around Logan's neck as she clung for dear life as they continued their deadly earth-bound plummet.

"_**What do you think you're doing**_?" she screamed over the deafening rush of the howling winds surrounding them.

But Logan offered no answer, only a wild smile as they continued their downward descent.

Fear gripping the normally cool-headed telepath, she instinctively materialized into her diamond form, hoping to protect herself from injury.

Feeling the icy touch of her diamond form on his flesh, Wolverine's eyes widened. "Frost! Turn back to normal! I can't steer us with the extra weight!"

But Frost steadfastly shook her head, her grip on Logan's neck tightening.

The wild loner struggled to loosen her grasp on his throat, while trying to steer them clear of any trees or potentially deadly landing spots. "Quit it!"

Realizing that Emma wasn't going to budge on lowering her diamond shell, and time was running short before their inevitable collision with the ground, Logan twisted his body to guide them towards a nearby slope on one of the mountains.

His only hope was that there was more snow on that slope than there was rock. Logan knew he could take such a hit, but he wasn't sure how much punishment Emma's diamond form could take, and he didn't want to take the chance to test that…no matter how irritating she was.

Bracing for impact, Logan jutted his legs downward, just enough to ensure that he would meet the snow banks before Emma did. With a soft, but audible thud, he finally made contact – breathing a sigh of relief that his hunch was right about the snowfall's majority – as the pair slid down the mountain.

But the extra weight provided by Emma's diamond form threw Logan off balance as he was suddenly propelled forward, their graceful slide turning into a clumsy roll. Emma's gasps of surprise and cries of shock echoed in his ears as they tumbled down the mountain side.

Despite the pain he felt at the landing, he instinctively tried to shift his weight in order to protect Emma. Alas, his efforts were futile as the continued to roll downhill until at last, they came to a skidding halt near the base of the mountain.

Groaning in pain, Logan pushed his upper body off the snow-blanketed ground, his mind registering to check on Emma's condition.

A question he received a quick and painful response to when a hard diamond fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him backwards onto the ground.

Emma, still covered in her icy diamond form, turned her furious crystal gaze at Logan.

"_You_…_**idiot**_!" she snapped.

Coughing, an irate Logan spat out the trickle of blood he tasted in his mouth. "_What the hell did you that for?"_

"If you have to ask me that question, then you have even _less_ of a brain than I gave you credit for," she scowled, picking herself up off the ground and brushing the snow off her shapely form. "And I gave you _very_ little credit, to begin with."

Logan's temper flared as he turned his cowl-covered eyes at his teammate. "So, I'm the idiot? Did it ever occur to you that when we're in free-fall several hundred feet above land, we have a better chance of survival if we have _less weight_ on us instead of morphing into that _damned diamond form of yours_?"

Emma's eyes widened in outrage. "_Don't. Even. __**Start**_! _I'm_ not the one who thought it would be a _brilliant strategy_ to grab my unsuspecting teammate, ignore two perfectly-functioning parachutes or the offer for a landing and jump out of a moving helicopter _in the middle of the air_!"

"I would have landed us just fine, if _you_ had just _listened to me_ and dropped the diamond form before we hit the ground!" Logan fired back, accusatorily.

"I wouldn't have _had to_ use it if _you_ had even _bothered_ to clue me in on your intentions to test out _cordless bungee-jumping_ over the Canadian Rocky Mountains!" she retorted, her voice sharp and cold.

"If I had _told_ you the plan, you would've said '_No_!' And time isn't something we've got plenty of when dealing with _the Hulk_!" Logan growled, his steel-like fists balled tightly.

"You're damn right I would have said 'No!' Because it was a _stupid_ plan!" she shouted back at him, a heated scowl etched on an otherwise perfectly sculpted diamond visage. "What kind of a brain-dead imbecile would think it's a good idea to leap out of a plane _with no parachute?"_

"_I've never __**NEEDED**__ one_!" he roared at her, furiously.

"_Well, __**I **__**DO**_!" she practically screamed, literally panting with anger.

Logan let out a roar of frustration. "I knew this was a bad idea from the start. I'm better off working alone, and instead, not only does Fury saddle me with a partner, but he sticks me with the most arrogant, irritating, obnoxious, prissy ice princess this side of the _Western Hemisphere_!"

"As if being paired with _you_ is any picnic!" she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. "You're rude, you're overbearing, you have all the personality of a rabid wolf, and you have _no_ concept of working with other people! I'd have more cooperation working with a _two-year old_ than with you." With disdain, she added, "And the two-year old wouldn't smell _nearly_ as offensive."

Before he realized it, Logan was moving at incredible speed towards the blonde, his adamantium claws jutting out as he held them dangerously close to her crystal face, snarling menacingly.

Despite the surprise and sudden fear she felt, Emma masked her emotions well as she raised her chin proudly, defiantly glaring into the seething, feral gaze of the animalistic mutant before her.

She had no idea whether even her diamond-hard shell could withstand an attack from razor-sharp claws made out of virtually unbreakable metal. Yet, while Emma might have been afraid for her life in that moment, her pride would not let her reveal that to Logan. Besides, for all of his gruff and ornery disposition, she had always believed Logan to have some semblance of honor. Surely, he wouldn't strike an unarmed woman – a teammate – over a few scathing words. But even if he would, she would sooner die than show fear to anyone.

Logan's infuriated scowl suddenly softened, as he realized what he was doing. He almost lost it. As maddening as Emma was, he knew better than to threaten someone because of a few stupid words. He knew Charles would not approve if he saw him acting like some hotheaded teenager.

Letting out a displeased grunt, he quickly re-shed his claws, lowering his hands away from his female compatriot. He just wanted to get this hunt over with already. The sooner they tagged and bagged the Hulk (and that was a fight he wasn't looking forward to with Emma in tow) the sooner they could safeguard the X-Men's secrets, and the sooner he could be back at the mansion and not have to worry about teaming with the irritating blonde again until the next mission.

"Come on," he ground out, trudging ahead. "We've got some ground to cover and shelter to find before sundown."

Emma lowered her diamond form, briefly rubbing her hands along her arms as the wicked cold of the Canadian wilderness stabbed at her skin. Warily walking behind the wild X-Man, she shook her head.

Only just last night, she had been wrapped in the warmth and comfort of her queen-sized bed in the safety and protection of the Xavier Institute. Now, she was walking in the unforgiving cold of one the world's bitterest environments, chasing after a dangerous, menacing brute…to chase after _another_ dangerous, menacing brute.

"This should be just…jolly," she wryly sighed.

To Be Continued…


	3. Wolverine and Emma Frost vs Hulk

A/N: Sorry about the wait, but my life (as usual) has been in some turmoil, as of late. Got into a car accident, long story short. But I'm good now. And at least I had some time to finish the latest chapter. So, silver lining and all that. It was actually supposed to be longer, but I really wanted to update, so I picked a point where I could post until I have a shot to finish the rest of the story. I'll look to update next weekend, when I have time. Enjoy, and feedback makes mouths happy!

* * *

**Crystal Clear**

**Part 3**

* * *

It didn't take the two X-Men long before they reached the massive crater in the ground.

An imprint of that size was hard to miss, particularly when one had Logan's enhanced, keen eyes.

Emma, still maintaining a distance between them, could sense Logan's mind as it raced, his innate tracking abilities honed in with an uncanny focus. Though she would loathe to admit it, it amazed her to see just how Logan was able to process the barrage of sensory overload – the faint scent of toxic radiation, the large tracks in the ground, even the slight crunch of snow from miles ahead – and almost immediately begin to zero in on the trail to his prey as if it had a long leash attached to it.

All she could do was extend her mental abilities as far and wide as she could. So far, however, she hadn't been able to pick up anything resembling Dr. Banner or his gamma-powered persona. Even for a well-trained and skilled telepath like Emma, telepathy wasn't always an exact science.

But she could sense something else, however. Something wild and primitive, purely animalistic in nature. Something that made her hairs stand up…

"There," Logan's gruff voice called out.

Emma whirled around, startled. Logan's grim visage made her no more calm, especially given that little incident with his claws earlier.

"What? What do you see?" she asked, both anxious and curious.

Despite the knowledge of their previous altercation, Emma opted to stifle her fears and get closer to the X-Men's leader. Crouching down to join him near the ground, she saw Logan's eyes narrow as they stumbled onto another clue to their target's whereabouts.

Amid the mass of snow and crushed earth, he found what he was looking for.

Foot prints. Massive ones, too. About three feet long and two feet wide.

Emma's cerulean eyes widened in surprise. Any creature with feet of that size could easily crush whatever was in its path.

She saw Logan trace his finger along the ground, bringing the dirt-stained finger to his nose and inhaling with three short, harsh snorts of air.

The right corner of Logan's mouth twitched ever-so-slightly. "Yup. That's our boy, all right."

"How can you tell?" Emma asked as her eyes continued to scrutinized the footprint.

"Toxic," Wolverine replied. "Faint smell, but still there. Like sweat on an old gym shirt."

Emma grimaced, disgusted. "Charming."

Logan threw her an annoyed glance, but kept focusing his thoughts. Taking in the surroundings and analyzing the details – smell, sight, noise – and using them to piece together a visual tapestry of the events in his head. He couldn't always do this, of course. But over the very long life that his healing factor allowed him – or cursed him with – he had been able to learn from various martial artists of the highest order how to use his senses and extend them beyond the obvious in order to revisit events that took place in certain areas, even when little evidence remained. How to see beyond that which could only be seen…

The smell of gunfire, camouflage paint and cheap cologne told him that soldiers were here, although their footprints suddenly vanished about three feet from the impact zone. That wasn't a good sign. Either the Hulk got to them, or…or something else did.

And there was something else out here…the smell of musky fur and dried blood told him that…but he had never smelled this kind of creature, in Canada or anywhere else, and Logan knew the scents of practically all land-borne animals. And in Logan's experience, the less he knew about something, the more likely that something was to hurt him badly.

"He had himself a little throwdown just after he landed," Logan continued as his eyes followed a trail of those large footprints until they suddenly stopped just short of the forest entry.

He moved closer to the last set of prints, which were imbedded more so than the others. That fact was not lost on Emma, either.

"These tracks," she said as she examined the ground. "They get deeper than the others. Then they just…stop. Why?"

Logan's eyes narrowed as he kept his gaze on the last set of footprints. "Simple. This is where he jumped."

Emma turned a surprised gaze to her unwilling partner. "Surely, you're not serious."

Logan glanced at her, annoyed yet again. "Because I'm so well known for my comic relief. _Of course, I'm serious_! Didn't you read the files? Didn't they say anything about the Hulk's leaping ability?"

Emma rolled her eyes at his snappish answer. "Oh, do put a sock in it, Logan. It was only a statement. Funny, how with despite those enhanced senses, apparently your sense of humor was left out of the equation." A beat, followed by a wicked smirk. "And hygiene, no doubt."

Logan gnashed at his teeth, trying to harness his patience. He couldn't lose control again like he did last time. "The Hulk," he started, slowly and deliberately, "has been known to cover enormous distances only by leaping. The power in his legs is like having two V-rockets strapped above his feet."

"My God," Emma breathed, astounded. "But that means he could be anywhere."

"Hopefully, he didn't get far," Logan said as he stood up, sniffing the air. "The radiation in the air is still fresh. We better get going."

He was about to start running off in the direction of the scent when he suddenly stopped. Logan cursed under his breath as he realized that he could not leave Emma behind (though Lord knows he wanted to). While she was, without question, in great physical condition, she could not seriously be expected to keep up with him in the wilderness.

And as much as it pained him, if they were to keep pace with the Hulk, there was only one solution…

"Get on," he grumbled.

Emma was dumbfounded. "What do you — "

"Climb on my back and hold on," he grounded out, not wanting to repeat himself.

Emma let out a snort in disbelief. "Are you sure you didn't concuss your head after we crash-landed on the mountain? Because that's the only way you could have come up with that idea."

"Look, Frost," he snapped, growing more impatient by the moment. "This is the only way we can speed this search up. You're not going to be able to keep up with me on a tracking mission."

"That's a matter of opinion," Emma frowned, offended by the idea that Logan thought he could do anything better than her.

"_No_. It's a matter of _fact_," he replied, tersely. "The metal in my bones can support your weight, and I move really, _really_ fast when I'm on a hunt. I'd rather get this done in one shot instead of having to slow down so you can keep up."

Emma scoffed, unconvinced. And still wary. "Just a half-hour ago, you had your filthy claws at my jugular, and now, you want me to start trusting you, let alone get close enough where you could finish the job? Please. Don't mistake me for my hair color."

"Then you can _stay_ here until I come back for you!" Logan barked. "However long that might be. That is, of course, if the bears and wolves out here don't decide to come for you first."

Emma scowled, not happy with her options in the slightest. Stay behind at the mercy of the Canadian wildlife, without a shred of anything to eat, or let Logan carry her around like a helpless infant.

Logan, whom she couldn't stand. Logan, who bossed her around, constantly berated her and threw her out of a moving plane. Logan, who had just menaced her with those horrible claws of his…who she had done nothing but argue with, who she could barely trust, who she could barely tolerate…

She let out a defeated sigh before she took several steps and, resignedly, wrapped her arms around the broad, muscular shoulders of the feral mutant. She scowled as she saw Logan smirk with satisfaction.

"Let's just get it over with," she grumbled. "And for your sake, you had better be as fast as you say— "

No sooner had she uttered those words than did Logan sprint, with unreal speed, across the entrance of the forest.

Emma was wide-eyed with amazement, marveling at his speed – even with her own body weight – as he covered much of the thick Canadian forests in seconds, when it would have taken them minutes to comb through all of it.

Within a span of thirty minutes, she held on for dear life as Logan led her down dirt slopes, up towards mountain peaks, across valleys of dirt and trees, down more slopes, and across a raging river, guided by a toxic odor only his enhanced senses could detect.

She had to admit, despite her misgivings and opinions on the X-Men's leader, Logan's skills were…uncanny. In mere minutes, he had trekked across distances it would have taken her hours to cover alone. And he wasn't even slowing down. In fact, the closer he appeared to be getting to this mysterious Hulk, the more he picked up the pace.

It was as if he barely even registered the fact that he was holding Emma's slender body as extra weight. Emma could feel his powerful muscles working hard beneath her as she clung to his shoulders, his wild, musky scent– a decidedly masculine odor – peppering her nose. And she couldn't help but to think back to only an hour ago, when she called his scent "offensive." But being this close to him, the wild smell was not only unoffensive, but it was…rather appealing…

She shook her head at the thought as she realized what she was thinking. There was nothing appealing about Logan. There could never be…

"Are we getting any closer?" she asked loudly as he continued his pace across the wilderness.

"Relax, your Highness," he retorted. "The scent's getting stronger by the second. It shouldn't be long now."

At least, he hoped so. As strange as it was to him, he didn't mind carrying her. He had no idea she was this light. And her perfume – Dior, from the smell of it …was a welcome scent, reminding him of how long it had been since he was with a woman…

Logan's eyes widened and he immediately squashed that thought. Just because they were partnering didn't mean that he had to go and start lusting after her. He'd leave that to Scott and Bobby and Warren and any other male in the tri-state area. Anyone but him, that is…

Finally, they came across a snowy peak near one of the many mountains in the area. From the colors in the sky, both mutants guessed they wouldn't have long before nightfall.

Logan skidded to a halt, turning to Emma. "Last stop, Frost."

Quickly dismounting off of him, Emma was still puzzled. "Why are we stopping here?"

Logan shrugged, casually. "Just a feeling I've got. Besides, we've got to find shelter soon before nightfall." A beat. "Scan the area. See if you can pick anything up."

Emma waved her hand, dismissively. "Oh, please. I've been mentally scanning our surroundings since we played out that little 'Edward and Bella' scene back at the crater."

"Who-ward and what?" Logan bit out, getting irritated.

Emma shook her head. "From 'Twilight.' That movie based on the books. For heaven's sake, don't you know anything about pop culture?"

"No," he shot back. "I guess I've been slacking off, with the whole 'Being-team-leader-while-trying-to-prevent-the-end-of-the-world' thing on my mind. One has to wonder about my priorities."

"So, this is how we're going to spend the entire mission? Bickering and sniping at each other?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips in an annoyed fashion.

"You're the one that started it, not me!" Logan retorted.

Emma groaned in exasperation. "This is hopeless. Alright, I scanned the area already. I can't sense anything for miles around, aside from a few animals. You can rest easy." She followed that up with a smirk. "It doesn't look like you'll be torn in half in the next few moments."

A low, feral growl rumbled through Logan's throat, his hands shaking with anger. "Frost. Don't. Push me."

"Or you'll do what? Run me through with those overgrown fingernails of yours? As if you could," she challenged.

"Don't tempt me, lady," he bit out.

"Oh, please, don't bore me with idle threats, Logan" she rolled her eyes. "If you didn't do it a half-hour ago, what makes you think you could do it now?"

Logan's temper was about to erupt. "Because right now, you're on my absolute last nerve —"

He broke off when another scent filled his nostrils. Smoke. Burning smoke.

Emma grew concerned as she saw Logan's nose flaring with short intakes of breath. "What is it?"

Logan's face was grim. "Smoke. Due southeast. Not too far from here. Let's move."

This time, the pair ran in the direction of the smoke, separately, with Emma trailing Logan from behind.

After several minutes of running, they came across the source of the smoke – a burned and charred wooden cabin, or what was left of it.

"Looks like someone's home insurance is about to kick in," Emma grimly observed as she surveyed the wreckage.

"Ya think?" Logan curtly replied as he searched for clues on what caused the damage.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she dismissively replied. "You should try it sometime."

Ignoring her comment – or trying to, anyway – his search was quickly rewarded when he came across a piece of wooden debris. A piece that was distinguished by the marks on it.

Claw marks. Very large claw marks.

"How bizarre," Emma said as she observed the marked plank over Logan's shoulder. "Intel never mentioned the Hulk had claws."

"He doesn't," Logan gravely replied as he stared at the damaged wood.

Suddenly, his ears picked up a quick movement behind them. Emma whirled around, having heard a swift whoosh of air behind her, as well.

"What the— " was all Logan could manage before his nose flared with a sudden rush of toxic residue. At the same time, Emma's eyes widened as her mind unexpectedly picked up the presence of a looming, large and very angry being coming in fast and hard on their position.

"_Logan_—" she nearly shouted, before the sky suddenly darkened. And an angry roar followed…

"Oh, hell," Logan grimaced as he pushed Emma behind him.

Almost as soon as he did so, a being the size of a large boulder plummeted down from above, landing in front of the two X-Men with a resounding 'BOOM!' as the ground shook beneath them.

Emma gasped in surprise as she saw him. Green skinned, arms extended, angry roar resonating and enormous muscles bulging. If she thought the stories were only stories before, reality had literally crashed down in front of her.

The Hulk.

And for once, the wickedly dry-witted telepath was at a total loss of words. "My…God," she half-whispered in awe and fear.

As the raging roar of the Jade Giant thundered down upon them, Logan's grim face suddenly offered a wry smirk, the warrior in him suddenly alive with anticipation. "Fury was right…this _is_ fun."

As if the creature understood that comment, one of its enormous green hands suddenly shot out and swatted Logan away like a fly.

"LOGAN!" Emma cried out as her partner's body was flung towards a tree.

Logan grunted in pain as his body collided hard with the thick, unforgiving bark of the tree. A normal man would have been snapped in half, but Logan's adamantium skeleton was more than up to the challenge.

Shaking off the pain, Logan called out, "Frost! Diamond form, _now_!"

As the Hulk set his gamma-green sights on Emma, the blonde telepath's skin suddenly shimmered as she transformed into her diamond shell. The green gargantuan stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Now's your chance, Frost! Run!" Logan shouted, still gathering his bearings. "And whatever you do, don't— "

Without warning, Emma, acting on pure instinct, lashed out with a wicked crystallized right hand at the creature, hitting him square in the mouth. The Hulk cried out in pain as his head was jarred back…

"…Provoke him," Logan groaned, knowing how big a mistake Emma had just made.

…only to suddenly reset his head, snarling angrily at the diamond-coated mutant. Emma gasped in shock. The force she hit this monster with had enough power to crush a normal man's jaw. But it hadn't even phased this massive monstrosity. In fact, it only seemed to make him angrier.

"Shiny girl hurt Hulk," the creature snarled, its face a menacing scowl as Emma started shrinking backwards. "NOW HULK SMASH SHINY GI—"

The Hulk's angry threat was cut short when Wolverine's legs propelled right into his massive head, knocking him off-balance and down to the ground.

Logan whirled around and shook Emma — still in a state of shock — hard. "Snap out of it, Frost! We have to find higher ground before he—"

A fierce, raging roar cut him off as the Hulk lumbered to its feet.

"Recovers. Damn it," Logan cursed, pulling Emma behind him as the jade giant's footsteps thundered in their direction.

"I don't suppose he's open to friendly dialogue?" a wide-eyed Emma asked Logan.

"Worth a shot," Logan shrugged, before outstretching his arms towards the Hulk in a placating manner. "Ok, Hulk — you choose. We can do this the easy way, or —"

_SNIKT_! His claws popped out, ready to strike.

The Hulk's glowing green eyes suddenly widened in recognition.

"Hulk…remember…," the emerald-hued monster said in a low, rumbling voice.

Emma observed the creature's suddenly pensive motions with curiosity. For a moment, she hoped they would be able to reason with the behemoth. Those hopes were dashed when she picked up the creature's thoughts, flashing back to his first encounter with Wolverine…

_The shine of deadly claws…a painful slash…"Hulk Smash Little Man!"…_

The Hulk scowled angrily as he realized who was in front of him. "_**Hulk remember you**_!"

Emma groaned. "Oh, bollocks."

The jade giant let out an angry roar before he raised both hands and slammed them into the ground. The earth-shattering force the Hulk used knocked both X-Men down.

"So much for the easy way," Logan grumbled.

Scrambling to get back on his feet, Logan opted to send his thoughts towards Emma in hopes of keeping their strategy quiet. _**Frost, your last punch managed to have some effect.**_

_**Effect**__? _The blonde stared at him, confused. _**I barely managed to **__**tickle**__** it, let alone hurt it.**_

_**It might be just enough**__,_ he replied mentally. _**On three, we go all-out with maneuver #23**__. _

_**The High-Low**__?_ Emma raised an eyebrow.

Logan smirked. _**Yup. You hit him high…**_

_**And you hit him low**_, Emma wickedly smirked back.

As the Hulk lumbered towards them, Logan saw their window of opportunity. _**One…two…THREE**__!_

The two X-Men leapt forward towards their overpowering adversary. The Hulk, caught off-guard by the move, barely had any time to react before Emma's diamond-hard right hand hit him square in the forehead, while Logan used both of his metal-reinforced legs to ram into the monster's tree-like right leg.

The High-Low move was one that all X-Men were trained in during Danger Room sessions. A move, invented by Wolverine, designed to disorient a larger opponent and throw them off balance at the same time. A fighter for as far back as he could remember, Logan knew that all fights were about balance. Whoever loses balance first often loses the fight.

As the Hulk tumbled to the ground with an audible groan of pain, Logan felt a swell of pride at the results of his patented technique.

That is, until the Hulk rolled over and slowly rose from the ground, his green face a mask of pure rage.

"That's not good," Logan said warily, slipping into his fighting stance.

"Logan, you are truly the master of the understatement," Emma wryly replied.

Bellowing in raw, untamed fury, the gamma-born goliath charged head on at the duo. Acting instinctively, Logan pushed Emma out of the way before swiftly leaping over the monster's head. Dodging a lethal swing, Logan's deadly blades unshed once again before driving his clawed hand right at the creature's heart.

But his hand never reached its destination, as the Hulk's hand caught the arm in an unbreakable grip.

"Aww, crud," Logan groaned in dismay before he was swung overhead and hurled to the ground, almost like a Flintstones cartoon.

As the monster closed in on his fallen adversary, doom seemed imminent for the feral mutant. Suddenly, Emma rushed in – a ball of snow in hand – and hurled the snowy mix into the Hulk's eyes.

Blinded for a moment, the Hulk staggered back, before wiping the snow out of his eyes. Upon seeing Emma as the offending party, the creature growled angrily as it set its sights on crushing the diamond-coated beauty.

"Whoever thought I'd ever wish to be Kitty Pryde?" Emma, backing up slightly, muttered in consternation, envying the aforementioned X-Man's ability to phase through objects harmlessly. A luxury she did not have as the giant approached her, murderous intent imbedded in his gamma green eyes…

Without warning, Logan's yellow and blue form rushed by her, the rejuvenated X-Man lunging at their unstoppable attacker with deadly intent.

But the Hulk only batted him aside with ease, as if Logan was no more than a fly. Logan barely had time to recover before he was encased in a crushing bearhug. Logan felt his breath start escaping him, the sound of his metal bones straining, as the giant tightened his grip on him.

Emma began to panic as she watched Logan struggle in the monster's grasp. She doubted even his adamantium bones could take such abuse for much longer. And she knew she had to do something, but even her diamond-hard shell could not do enough damage to the monster. So, acting on a gamble, she decided to use her greatest asset – her mind.

As her diamond form dematerialized, her hands flew to her temples, opening the mental gates between herself and the green gargantuan.

Her thoughts echoed loudly in the monster's head. _**Hulk. ENOUGH. Let him go.**_

Confused, the monster let up for one moment…enough to give Logan a small window of opportunity. Logan rammed his metal-coated skull into the bridge of the Hulk's nose, the pain causing his larger adversary to drop him.

As Logan fought to regain his breath, his keen eyes caught sight of something among the ruins. There, lying only a few feet from him, was a duffel bag with a S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem imprinted on it.

Emma shut her eyes as she focused her thoughts on trying to shut down the monster, sending a large surge of psychic energy into the brute's mind, targeting his consciousness centers and attempting to disorient him. From years of practice mastering her psychic abilities, she knew exactly where to strike her opponents on the mental playing field. Any normal man would have crumbled into unconsciousness with only a fraction of the power she was exerting…

But the Hulk's mind was surprisingly resistant, even for a telepath as formidable as Emma, and while he appeared to be weakening under the staggering psychic assault, he was still conscious. And slowly making his way towards the blonde telepath.

Emma groaned in pain as a myriad of memories inside the monster's mind flashed before her eyes…

_An angry father's glare…a crowd of laughing, abusive school children…the comfort and safety of books…college…a blue-eyed angel with dark locks of hair…a kindred spirit…a first love…her disapproving, militant father…an untested experiment…a bright green flash…an angry, inhuman roar…fire, destruction everywhere…his angel, lying broken in a hospital bed…guilt, panic…running…running…through Thailand…across Mexico…deep into Russia, Brazil…running…always running…the struggle to cage a powerful, uncontrollable monster…the strongest there is…_

Emma felt her strength starting to sap, as she strained the use of her psychic powers as hard as she ever had, but continued to pushed forward, now switching strategies in a desperate attempt to connect with the man within the monster. _**Dr. Banner…can you here me?**_

The Hulk growled angrily, clutching his head. "Hulk is not Banner. Hulk is HULK! Blonde girl not call Hulk Banner again! Blonde girl get out of Hulk's head, or HULK WILL SMASH!"

_**Please listen**, _Emma continued, undeterred. _**We don't want to fight. We only want to help. We need you to stop what you're doing. You're hurting people, Dr. Banner. Innocent people. We only want – **_

"HULK IS NOT BANNER!" the creature bellowed, staggering towards the blonde with his massive, deadly fists held high. "Hulk wants to be left alone. But little man and shiny blonde girl hurt Hulk. Attack Hulk! Blonde girl hurt Hulk's head! HULK SMASH BLONDE GI – "

The monster's sentence was cut off as Logan leapt forward out of nowhere, stuffing the creature's mouth with a fist-sized hand grenade. In one motion, the X-Men leader leapt away from the Hulk, knocked Emma away and covered her body with his own as the grenade detonated inside the creature's mouth.

Emma felt Logan's strong arms steady her as she struggled to her feet.

"Nice work," he smirked towards Emma.

The blonde nodded in kind with a smirk of her own. "You weren't too bad yourself."

The rare bonding moment was cut off when the explosion's smoke cleared and they noticed the monster, though wobbling, was still standing. And glaring.

Emma's eyes widened. No creature could have survived that. And yet, there it stood. More annoyed than mortally wounded.

"Tell me that wasn't your last shot," she implored Logan, bracing for the worst.

Logan crouched in fighting stance, but calmly replied, "Wait for it…"

The monster stalked slowly towards them…

"Huuulk…smaaaaa…."

…and then collapsed into the snow with a loud thud, like a redwood tree readied for logging.

" 'Hulk smash.' Yeah, I know, I heard you the last time, bub," Logan muttered dismissively to their fallen adversary.

Emma brushed the snow off her white pants. "Well," she sighed. "That was certainly…exhilarating."

"Says the woman who flipped out after a little jump out of a plane," he snorted.

Emma scowled. "Replied the hairy little man who threw me out of said plane in the first place."

"Watch your mouth, lady," he warned.

"Oh, drop the attitude, Logan," she waved her hand in brusque fashion. "I would think after all of this, you could at least crack a smile. You didn't even get ripped in half this time."

Logan let out a sound that was half-groan, half growl. As far as he was concerned, he couldn't wait for this wilderness excursion to be over.

The pair watched in amazement as the body of the Hulk began shrinking exponentially, reverting back into its former identity – Dr. Bruce Banner.

Emma eyed the process in amazement. "Incredible," she breathed, awed.

"Yeah, kinda," Logan replied. "Hard to imagine that something like the Hulk could spring out of a 90 pound nuke nerd."

"Indeed," she said, crouching down to get a closer look at the unconscious form of the gamma radiation genius. "Logan, when I was inside the Hulk's mind, I…discovered something."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think the Hulk was responsible for all of this damage," she said, pensively. "What if…something else was?"

Logan frowned. "Like what?"

"I'm…not exactly sure, but from the bits of information I retrieved from his memory, something else brought Dr. Banner out here," she said, her eyes still on the fallen scientist. "And it doesn't add up to what Colonel Fury told us about the situation."

The feral X-Man bore a distasteful scowl. "So, Fury wasn't telling the whole story. Color me shocked."

"Well, now that we've neutralized the threat of the Hulk, the question remains – what do we do with him?" Emma asked, turning to Logan.

"Well, for starters, we can get him into something decent," he said, turning his eyes back to Banner's body. "There's some sweats in the duffel bag I found the grenade in. I doubt he'll appreciate catching a cold when he wakes up. Besides, I could think of about 1,000 things off the top of my head I'd rather look at than his bony chest."

Emma chuckled. "I didn't realize you were so modest."

Logan threw another evil eye towards the blonde. "I just don't feel like getting my head ripped off on the count of Banner here waking up with nasal congestion or something. Now quit your sassin' and help me get some clothes on him."

Emma let out an amused laugh. " '_Sassin'_?' I know that healing factor takes the years off, but, my God, just how old _are_ you?"

Logan groaned in annoyance as he picked the scientist's limp body off the ground and slung it over his shoulder. _Longest mission I've ever had_, he thought to himself in displeasure.

"I heard that," she called out, sharply.

"Good," he snapped back.

* * *

To Be Continued…

Next chapter…a little Emma/Logan goodness, plus our heroes discover the real reason behind Fury's request. Followed by (yay!) more monster bashing. I'll update soon. Promise!


End file.
